Houston Person

 ( 1934 Births ) 

Houston Person (born November 10, 1934) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing music genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. He received the "Eubie Blake Jazz Award" in 1982.

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Biography Person grew up in Florence, South Carolina, and first played piano, before switching to tenor saxophone. He studied at South Carolina State College, where he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1999.

In the United States Air Force, he joined a service band stationed in West Germany, and played with Don Ellis, Eddie Harris, Cedar Walton, and Leo Wright. Person later continued his studies at Hartt College of Music in Hartford, Connecticut.

He first became known for a series of albums for Prestige Records in the 1960s. Contrary to popular belief, he was never married to the vocalist Etta Jones, but did spend many years as her musical partner, recording, performing and touring, and for much of his career this association was what he was best known for. They first met playing in organist Johnny Hammond's band.

There are more than 75 albums recorded by Person as a bandleader, on Prestige, Westbound, Mercury Records, Savoy Records, and Muse Records, and he has most recently been recording on HighNote Records. He has recorded with Charles Brown, Ron Carter, Bill Charlap, Charles Earland, Lena Horne, Etta Jones, Lou Rawls, Janis Siegel, Horace Silver, Dakota Staton, Cedar Walton, plus Billy Butler, Don Patterson, Grant Green, Sonny Phillips, Johnny "Hammond" Smith, Richard "Groove" Holmes and others.

Person has been a resident of Newark, New Jersey.

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Awards Person received the Eubie Blake Jazz Award in 1982, and in 2011 the Jazz Legend Award, presented in San Diego.

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Discography

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As leader

• Underground Soul! (Prestige Records, 1966)
• Chocomotive (Prestige, 1967)
• Trust in Me (Prestige, 1967)
• Blue Odyssey (Prestige, 1968)
• Soul Dance! (Prestige, 1968)
• Goodness! (Prestige, 1969)
• Truth! (Prestige, 1970)
• Person to Person! (Prestige, 1970)
• Houston Express (Prestige, 1971)
• Broken Windows, Empty Hallways (Prestige, 1972)
• Sweet Buns & Barbeque (Prestige, 1972)
• Island Episode (Prestige, 1971/1973 1997)
• The Real Thing live (Eastbound, 1973) - 2LP
• Houston Person '75 (Westbound/20th Century, 1975)
• Get Out'a My Way! (Westbound/20th Century, 1975)
• Pure Pleasure (Mercury Records, 1976)
• Harmony (Mercury, 1977)
• Stolen Sweets (Muse Records, 1976 1977)
• Wild Flower (Muse, 1977 1978)
• The Nearness of You (Muse, 1977 1978)
• The Gospel Soul of Houston Person (Savoy Records, 1978)
• The Big Horn (Muse, 1976 1979)
• Suspicions (Muse, 1980)
• Very PERSONal (Muse, 1980 1981)
• Heavy Juice (Muse, 1982)
• Road Warriors (Greene Street, 1984) - with Les McCann
• Creation (Greene Street, 1984) - with Roger Kellaway
• Always on My Mind (Muse, 1985)
• The Talk of the Town (Muse, 1987)
• We Owe It All to Love (Baseline UK, 1989)
• Basics (Muse, 1987 1989)
• Something in Common (Muse, 1989 1990) - with Ron Carter
• The Party (Muse, 1989 1991)
• Now's the Time (Muse, 1990) - with Ron Carter
• Just Friends (Muse, 1990 1992) - with Buddy Tate and Nat Simkins
• Why Not! (Muse, 1990)
• The Lion and His Pride (Muse, 1991)
• Christmas with Houston Person and Friends (Muse, 1994) - with Randy Johnston, Etta Jones, Grady Tate, Benny Green reissued
• Horn to Horn (Muse, 1994 1996) - with Teddy Edwards
• Close Encounters (HighNote, 1996 1999) - with Teddy Edwards
• Person-ified (HighNote, 1996 1997) - with Richard Wynands, Ray Drummond, Kenny Washington
• Lost & Found - with Charles Brown (32 Jazz, 1997) first
• The Opening Round (Savant Records, 1997)
• Christmas With Houston Person and Etta Jones (32 Jazz, 1997) compilation
• My Romance (HighNote Records, 1998)
• Soft Lights (HighNote, 1999)
• Together at Christmas (HighNote, 2000) - with Etta Jones
• (HighNote, 2000 2011) - with Etta Jones
• In a Sentimental Mood (HighNote, 2000)
• Dialogues (HighNote, 2000 2002) - with Ron Carter
• Blue Velvet (HighNote, 2001)
• Sentimental Journey (HighNote, 2002)
• Social Call (HighNote, 2003) - with Paul Bollenback
• To Etta with Love (HighNote, 2004) - with Paul Bollenback
• You Taught My Heart to Sing (HighNote, 2004 2006) - with Bill Charlap
• All Soul (HighNote, 2005)
• Just Between Friends (HighNote, 2005 2008) - with Ron Carter
• Thinking of You (HighNote, 2007)
• The Art and Soul of Houston Person (HighNote, 2008) - 3CD
• Mellow (HighNote, 2009)
• Moment to Moment (HighNote, 2010)
• So Nice (HighNote, 2011)
• Naturally (HighNote, 2012)
• Nice 'n' Easy (HighNote, 2013)
• The Melody Lingers On (HighNote, 2014) - with Steve Nelson
• Something Personal (HighNote, 2015)
• Chemistry (HighNote, 2015 2016) - with Ron Carter
• Rain or Shine (HighNote, 2017)
• Remember Love (HighNote, 2018) - with Ron Carter
• I'm Just a Lucky So and So (HighNote, 2019)
• Live in Paris (HighNote, 2019 2021)
• Reminiscing at Rudy's (HighNote, 2022)

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As sideman With The 3B's

• Soothin' 'N Groovin' with The 3B's (3B's Music, 1994)

With Joe Alterman

• Give Me the Simple Life (Mile High Records, 2012)
• Brisket for Breakfast (no label, 2025)

With Gene Ammons

• The Boss Is Back! (Prestige, 1969)

With Charles Brown

• Blues and Other Love Songs (Muse, 1992)

With Paul (PB) Brown

• Paul Brown Quartet Meets The Three Tenors (Brownstone, 1998)

With Billy Butler

• This Is Billy Butler! (Prestige, 1968)
• Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow (Prestige, 1970)
• Night Life (Prestige, 1971)

With Ron Carter

• Orfeu (Somethin' Else/Blue Note, 1999)

With Emmet Cohen

• Masters Legacy Series Volume 5: Houston Person (La Reserve Records, 2023)

With Joey DeFrancesco

• All About My Girl (Muse, 1994)
• Plays Sinatra His Way (High Note, 1998 rel.)

With Charles Earland

• Black Talk! (Prestige, 1969)
• Pleasant Afternoon (Muse, 1981)

With Grant Green

• Live at Club Mozambique (Blue Note, 1971 rel.)

With Tiny Grimes

• Profoundly Blue (Muse, 1973)

With Peter Hand Big Band

• The Wizard of Jazz: A Tribute to Harold Arlen (Savant Records, 2005 rel.)
• Out of Hand (Savant, 2013)
• Blue Topaz (Whaling City, 2024)

With Richard "Groove" Holmes

• Good Vibrations (Muse, 1977 rel.)
• Broadway (Muse, 1980)
• Blues All Day Long (Muse, 1988)
• Hot Tat (Muse, 1989 rel.)

With Randy Johnston

• Detour Ahead (HighNote, 1998 rel.)

With Etta Jones

• Etta Jones '75 (Westbound/20th Century, 1975)
• Ms. Jones to You (Muse, 1976)
• My Mother's Eyes (Muse, 1977)
• If You Could See Me Now (Muse, 1978)
• Save Your Love for Me (Muse, 1980)
• Fine and Mellow (Muse, 1986)
• I'll Be Seeing You (Muse, 1987)
• Sugar (Muse, 1989)
• Christmas with Etta Jones (Muse, 1990)
• Reverse the Charges (Muse, 1992)
• At Last (Muse, 1995)
• The Melody Lingers On (HighNote, 1997)
• (HighNote, 1998)
• All the Way (HighNote, 1999)
• Easy Living (HighNote, 2000)
• Etta Jones Sings Lady Day (HighNote, 2001)

With Charles Kynard

• Afro-Disiac (Prestige, 1970)

With Johnny Lytle

• Fast Hands (Muse, 1980)
• Good Vibes (Muse, 1982)
• Moonchild (Muse, 1992)

With Don Patterson

• Four Dimensions (Prestige, 1967)
• Oh Happy Day (Prestige, 1969)
• Tune Up! (Prestige, 1969)

With Sonny Phillips

• Sure 'Nuff (Prestige, 1969)

With Jimmy Ponder

• Come On Down (Muse, 1991)

With Bernard Purdie

• Shaft (Prestige, 1971 rel.)

With Shirley Scott

• Oasis (Muse, 1989)

With Rhoda Scott

• Feelin' the Groove (Verve, 1993)

With Janis Siegel

• Friday Night Special (Telarc, 2003)

With Horace Silver

• That Healin' Feelin' (Blue Note, 1970)

With Johnny "Hammond" Smith

• Mr. Wonderful (Riverside, 1963)
• A Little Taste (Riverside, 1963)
• The Stinger (Prestige, 1965)
• The Stinger Meets the Golden Thrush (Prestige, 1966) - with Byrdie Green
• Gettin' Up (Prestige, 1967)
• Soul Flowers (Prestige, 1967)
• Dirty Grape (Prestige, 1968)
• Nasty! (Prestige, 1968)
• Here It 'Tis (Prestige, 1970)

With Melvin Sparks

• Sparks! (Prestige, 1970)

With Warren Vaché

• Horn of Plenty (Muse, 1993)

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External links

• Houston Person NAMM Oral History Program Interview (2006)

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